STAND. COM. REP. NO.  506-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2131

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2131 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY CARE FOSTER FAMILY HOMES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a community care foster family home to remain open for at least another six months upon losing its only Medicaid patient, if a physician, licensed in the State, certifies that removal of the remaining private-pay client may result in transfer trauma to that client.

The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii, and The Primary Care Providers supported the measure.  The Department of Human Services opposed the measure.

     Your Committees have noted that the Department of Human Services testified that, to date, there have been no closures of community care foster family homes as a result of the home not having a Medicaid client in residence.  The Department of Human Services testified that it will work with its designee, Community Ties of America, and stakeholders on developing better policy and communication so that community care foster family homes can remain open and continue to serve as an important community resource to meet the needs of Medicaid patients requiring community-based options to nursing facility care.  The Department of Human Services also suggested that the amendment to section 346-332(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, may be more appropriately placed elsewhere, given that the statutory section is obsolete.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Reducing the mandatory age of a substitute caregiver to 18 years or older, from 21 years or older; and

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2131, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2131, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair